The holiday season comes with a veritable parade of delicious foods and meals shared with friends and family. The perfect solution for keeping up your calorie burn while fending off the cold weather is a beautiful blend of yoga and craft beer. Beer + Yoga, which kicked off the holiday season the weekend after Thanksgiving at Great South Bay Brewery in Bay Shore, has brought this dream to life.

Doing yoga in a brewery was definitely an experience to remember. While in yoga pose Warrior II, you are facing the giant metal vats and fermenters; you turn around and see the boxes of hops.

Sophia Del Gigante, event coordinator at NY Foodgasm is out to show Long Island that beer and yoga is a great match. “The South Shore is very hot for craft beer right now,” said Sophia, but she is looking to work with breweries all over Long Island for future events.

“I wanted people to know you don’t have to be serious to do yoga and better your mind and body,” said Katie, our yoga instructor for the afternoon. The afternoon’s attendees ranged from skilled to novice and Katie did an excellent job catering to all skill levels.

Jennifer R. of Levittown, New York was a yoga first-timer like myself. “I’ve always wanted to try yoga and I like this brewery so I wanted to give it a shot. I had a great time!”

“Attending an event like this is a lot of fun; it’s nice to work out, relax your body and mind, then sit back and enjoy a craft beer and football game” Lisa Booker of Bay Shore, said. “I look forward to future events like this.”

After our yoga session, I decided to get in the holiday spirit and try Granny Janny’s Gingerbread Cookie Ale. This was a darker beer with an ABV of 5.0%; you can smell and taste the ginger and a hint of nutmeg, an enjoyable beer for the season.

For those of you who are looking to be more involved with exercise and beer, stay tuned for NY Foodgasm’s next Beer + Yoga, on January 2, 2016 at Destination Unknown Brewing Company, as well as Wine + Yoga events at select Long Island wineries this summer.

After our yoga session, I decided to get in the holiday spirit and try Granny Janny’s Gingerbread Cookie Ale. This was a darker beer with an ABV of 5.0%; you can smell and taste the ginger and a hint of nutmeg, an enjoyable beer for the season.